Madrid

The Madrid flight was extremely easy. We almost slept through breakfast, and with only 40 minutes left of the flight, we were on the ground in no time.

Entry into the country was super easy. We had to register our face and fingerprints in a machine where there was no lineup. Then, at passport control, we simply walked through, put in our passport, identified our face, and kept on going - we didn't have to talk to a person.

One thing that did speed up our evacuation of the airport was that our bags did not make the flight, which is perfectly fine because we had a backup bag with some bathing suits, toiletries, and things we would need. We do have a stipend that we can use to buy some clothing and sundries to tide us over, and our bags will be delivered to the hotel tomorrow.

Having AirTags was extremely helpful. We used the feature where we go into the United app and put the AirTag share link that is created in 'Find My,' and now United can also check our bags using the AirTags. All in all, it was pretty simple, and then a 30-minute ride to the hotel.

We are staying at a lovely little boutique hotel called Pestana Plaza Mayor, which backs onto the Plaza Mayor in Madrid. It has winding hallways with brick and beautiful wallpaper. Our room also has a bit of a crazy layout. We have windows on both sides - one goes into a little courtyard - and our room is an L-shape. We have a couch, a little coffee bar area, and a closet in one part of the L, and our bed is in another part of the L. The shower, bathroom, and toilet are in the connection part of the L. It's very comfortable, and the AC is pumping, which we are very happy about.

Upon arrival, we made our way up to the pool. They have two pools: an indoor heated pool and a rooftop pool that is not heated, but with this heat, it felt like it definitely was. An early check-in followed by a swim in the morning was exactly what we needed.

And you may recognize that wallpaper… I had the same wallpaper in my office!

A plate featuring a slice of thick Spanish tortilla de patatas and a mini baguette sandwich filled with cured jamón.